Unison holds out for six per cent pay hike

Public
service union Unison has rejected a 2.5 per cent pay offer by local government
employers at the end of the first round of pay talks.

The
union is seeking a £1,750, or six per cent pay rise for 1.3 million local
government workers. It claims that nearly 60 per cent of local government staff
earn less than £12,500 a year.

The
next round of pay negotiations are scheduled for 28 February.

A
spokesman for the Employers Organisation for Local Government accused the union
of being unrealistic in its pay claim.

Unison
national secretary for local government, Malcolm Wing, said: “Local government
workers will obviously be disappointed and angry that such a derisory figure
has been offered. It will do nothing to close the growing pay gap between local
government workers and other workers in both the public sector and the wider
economy.

“It
leaves tens of thousands of staff earning less than £5 an hour – which is
simply not acceptable in this day and age.

“Between
now and the 28 February, Unison will be asking our members to lobby their local
councils to try and ensure that when we meet again there will be a more
realistic and serious offer on the table.”